Celebrating Public Art

As installation of the 2026 Public Art Program artwork wraps up, we are celebrating with a sold-out Artist Talk at the Smith Rafael Theater on Friday July 10th!

New Brand for The Downtown Arts District!

The downtown arts community has completed a rebrand. Look around and you will soon see a new look and feel for the district, renamed San Rafael Arts.

Building the arts district has been a multi-year collaboration between the City and several non-profit arts partners who have tirelessly volunteered their time to steer the growth of our district. Staff is deeply grateful to these steering committee organizations: Art Works Downtown, California Film Institute, Community Media Center of Marin, the Downtown San Rafael Business Improvement District, Marin Society of Artists, Marin Shakespeare Company, Multicultural Center of Marin, and Youth In Arts.

Public Art Program Coming to Completion

Last summer, the City of San Rafael launched a Public Art Program 2025/26 to enhance downtown vitality and celebrate the city's cultural identity. Funded by a California Arts Council grant, the project was allocated $260,000 to fund five new public art installations-including murals, mosaics, and sculptures-to highly visible locations across downtown.

Four out of five pieces are now on display throughout San Rafael. Go check them out!

• C Street Garage Mural on 3^rd Street
• City Plaza Fountain Mural & Tile Artwork
• 2nd Street Retaining Wall Mural at Ida Street
• B Street Community Center Statue
• City Hall Statue - Coming August 29^th!

To bring these projects to life, the City, our Arts District partners and our curators Local Edition Creative, designed a thoughtful and inclusive selection process. The Call for Artists reached creators across Marin, the Bay Area, and beyond. An artist selection committee-comprised of arts stakeholders and City staff-reviewed proposals and ensured that each concept aligned with our goals for cultural responsiveness, artistic excellence, and public enjoyment. In addition, a public input survey received over 1,000 responses to the proposed works.

The California Arts Council Grant has further funded over a dozed City arts initiatives including grants to support privately funded murals, arts classes and programs, and support of arts initiatives at community events.